Parts of Your Braces
The following diagram is meant to help you identify any problem you might have before you call our office.
Braces (Appliances)
- Band the ring of metal that is glued onto the tooth.
- Bonded Bracket the attachment bonded directly to the tooth.
- Bracket the bracket part that is attached to the band.
- Archwire the removable wire that fits along the outside, into the bracket slots.
- Wire Ligature a tiny wire that holds the archwire into the bracket.
- Elastic Ligature small rubber “rings” that hold the archwire into the bracket.
- Hooks where you attach elastics (rubber bands).
- Head Gear Tube tube on the upper molars where a headgear fits.
- Elastics rubber elastics that you hook onto your braces yourself
Additional Parts of Braces
Separators are small elastics that fit snugly between certain teeth for a week or so to move them slightly so bands can be placed around them later. Separators can fall out on their own if enough space has already been created. To determine if it needs to be replaced, slip some dental floss between the teeth; if it gets stuck, that means the separators hasn’t created enough room and needs to be replaced prior to your banding appointment. Avoid sticky foods while wearing separators.
Rubber bands are small elastics that come in different sizes and are often hooked from the top teeth to the bottom teeth. Wearing elastics (or rubber bands) improves the fit of your upper and lower teeth. Hook rubber bands as instructed and remember that the rubber bands work far more efficiently if they're worn as prescribed.
Headgear is often used to correct flared upper front teeth or an excessive overbite. This is done by placing pressure against the upper teeth and jaw, which would hold the teeth in position or help move them into better positions. The severity of the problem determines the length of time headgear needs to be worn. The key to success with your headgear appliance is consistency. Headgear must generally be worn at least fourteen hours per day, and if not, it must be made up the following day.
Headgear should never be worn while playing sports and should also be removed while eating or brushing your teeth.
A glued in lower appliance to hold space. The lower primary molars are often larger in width than the permanent premolars that will replace them. So if a space maintainer is placed before those baby teeth fall out, that extra space can be preserved to alleviate a mild to moderate amount of crowding.
Attached to the upper molars through bonding or by cemented bands, the Rapid Palatal Expander is an orthodontic device used to create a wider space in the upper jaw. It is typically used when the upper jaw is too narrow for the lower jaw or when the upper teeth are crowded or blocked out of the dental arch.
When patients are still growing, their connective tissue between the left and right halves of their upper jaw is very responsive to expansion. By simply activating the expander through turning a screw in the center of the palatal expander, with a special key we provide, gradual outward pressure is placed on the left and right halves of the upper jaw. This pressure causes an increased amount of bone to grow between the right and left halves of the jaw, ultimately resulting in an increased width. For more information about expanders click here.
These are rods with a coil spring around it and are attached to the braces to help correct the bite. They move the upper teeth back and the lower teeth forward. For more information about Forsus springs click here.
Additional Parts of Braces
Oral jewelry includes lip and tongue piercings and objects attached to teeth. Piercings have become increasingly popular, but unfortunately, the body art industry is largely unregulated and there are risks involved.
Complications can result from both the jewelry and the piercing procedure. The jewelry itself can:
- be inhaled
- cause allergic reactions
- cause chronic injury to the adjacent teeth and tissue, causing tooth fractures and gum recession leading to loss of teeth
The piercing procedure can cause:
- local bleeding and swelling
- nerve damage
- toxic shock
- permanent drooling
- impaired sense of taste
- distant infections in the liver, heart or brain since oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream during piercing
The National Institute of Health has identified oral piercing as a possible factor in the transmission of hepatitis B, C, D and G. A 2001 study performed by the Mayo Clinic found a 17% rate of medical complications from oral piercing. That’s nearly one in five!
The risk of infection has led the Canadian Dental Association to publish an official position statement on oral jewelry. In it, they point out that “All body piercing presents a level of risk of infection. Because of the presence and variety of bacteria in the oral cavity, oral piercings are considered to have higher risk and are therefore strongly discouraged.”
If, in spite of all the risks, you do plan to have your lip or tongue pierced, be sure to obtain the following information before you make your appointment:
- the experience of the artist including the complication rates
- the infection control practices used
- the after-care instructions
If you do have a piercing done and have any significant problems, get immediate attention.
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